Serged Blanket, Bib, and Burp Cloth by Stephanie Struckmann at Totally Stitchin SUPPLIES: You can make these cute baby gifts in a jiffy with Baby Lock Sergers! Created by: Stephanie Struckmann, www.totallystitchin.net Baby Lock machine: Baby Lock Evolution (Embellishments with Baby Lock Esante) Baby Lock Serger For Receiving Blanket: 40-44 of flannel fabric per blanket For Burp Cloth and Bib: 18 of fun flannel fabric and 18 of a coordinating solid flannel fabric (you ll need a sewing machine for embellishments if desired and a little sewing on the bib), ribbon if desired, a patch, embroidery design, or applique design for embellishment if desired and a snap for the bib. Complementary serger thread (I like mine to stand out, but, you can use matching thread as well)
Receiving Blanket Instructions 1. Iron fabric, then fold in half, matching your selvages again. 2. Then, fold in half again to make desired square/size (mine comes out to about 40 x 40 which is a nice, generous size for a receiving blanket). Cut off excess if you have it.
3. Sketch a curve on the corner with the 4 raw edges (if you are uncomfortable with free hand, use a large bowl to trace a nice curve). Cut through all 4 layers to create your curve on the 4 corners of you blanket. (I did 3 coordinating fabrics for a fun gift)! 4. Open blanket out and select your serger stitch. I used a 4-Thread Overlock Stitch for the pink blanket, a 3-Thread Overlock Stitch on the striped blanket, and the Baby Lock patented Wave Stitch (which is on the Baby Lock Imagine and Evolution) on the flower blanket. Refer to your quick reference guide for stitch settings. 5. Place edge of blanket next to the blade, cutting none or a little off as you serge. Serge slowly around the curves, keeping an eye on the needle ensuring that your serged stitch runs along your blanket as desired! I highly recommend using a clear foot to allow for better visibility. As you approach where you began, overlap stitches for desired length (I stitch about 1-2 overlapped) and make a quick fade off of the fabric leaving a tail of serged thread before cutting. (I like to sewing machine reinforce stitch over my overlap and then clip the serged tail or you can use fray check so that your serger threads don t start coming out where you ended).
For the reversible burp cloth and bib tutorial, follow the cutting and embellishing instructions in this Totally Stitchin Tutorial. After cutting the rectangle for the burp cloth, you ll want to add curves to the 4 corners as you did with the receiving blanket. Then, for the burp cloth, place wrong sides together as evenly as possible (uneven edges can be trimmed with scissors or cut off during serging)! Select the serger stitch you d like to finish the edge with (follow your Quick Reference Guide for serger settings). And serge around the edge and overlap as you did with the receiving blankets in Step 5 above. If you used ribbon for embellishment, I d recommend using fray check on the ribbon edges.
Once you have the 2 sides of the bib cut out, place pretty sides together and sewing machine stitch only the neck opening and the 2 straight edges of the bib tabs, needle in the center (or to the left if a larger neck opening is desired) using the edge of the foot as a seam guide creating about a 3/8 seam allowance. Clip the 2 corners and the circle of the neck opening. Then, flip right side out, pushing your corners out gently. Perhaps, give it a little pressing and it s ready for serging. Start with the top of the right bib tab and end at the left bib tab again serging slowly around those curves (using a clear foot is a good idea).
After serging the bib, I, again, like to sewing machine reinforce stitch over my start and stop serger stitches before I cut my serger tails. Then, add your snap (or hook and loop tape)! You re done!